Loom check linkage



Patented July 4, 1950 Carl. H.. Bacon, Cleveland, Ohio, .assignor to-.The

WVeatherhead Company, Cleveland, Ohio, at (501.-

poration of. Ohio Application. June 11, 1948,. SerialNo. 32,428

'4 Claims.

This invention relates to looms-and more spew cifically to a novel mounting means-for the picker stick thathcasts a shuttle to and fro across the shed. This invention is related to application Serial. Number 782,341, filed October 27, 1947 by George Hufferd-andassigned toThe Weatherhead Company.

: It is an object of the presentinvention tomount a. picker head so: that. itpositively and-accurately traverses :a desired pathby mounting the picker head upon a set of links, the mounting including a hydraulicpheek device arranged so that the check device is undisturbed by pivoting of the picker stick. f Briefly, this is accomplished by mounting the housing of a hydraulic check device on a bracket carried by the rock shaft. The. lower end of the picker stick is guided by link means extending from the picker'stickto the check mounting bracket. The upper end of the picker stick is: guided by a link extending down from therlay to-amidportion of thestick. In'this manner, the check rocks withthe shaft but istundisturbedby pivoting of thestick, so'thatthe hydraulic-fluid in the checkisalways properly disposed for best operating. conditions.

This and other 'ob'jectsand advantages will be apparent to one skilled in the art as the'following detailed description: ofv the preferred embodiment of my invention proceeds.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is an end view of the assembly.

The loom rock shaft R is mounted for swinging in a loom frame member ID by means of a bearing The sword S supports the lay portion |2 which provides a track for the shuttle in the conventional manner. It is understood that in looms of this type, a pair of picker sticks are mounted oppositely, only one of such sticks being shown in the figures.

The picker stick P is mounted by a link system to be described in detail presently and is connected to a hydraulic check device C. The exact construction of the check device forms no partof this invention; suitable constructions are disclosed in the copending applications of Roy 0. Balogh, Hydraulic Check, Serial No. 670,252, filed May 16, 1946, now Patent No. 2,483,517; Roy 0. Balogh, Hydraulic Loom Check, Serial No. 702,953, filed October 12, 1946, now Patent No. 2,506,697 and, George H. Hufierd, Combination Loom Picker Balogh, Hydraulic Check, Serial No. 670,252, filed October 27, 1947. It will suffice to say that the check device checks at the end of the power 2 strokewhich is initiatedby power strap |4,i after which the picker stick returns to the neutral position illustrated 'in the drawings, to thereupon receive the impact of the shuttle. This; impact carries the: picker stick to the-rend of'its return stroke with the check. device acting to bring the same to a dead stop withoutrebound. i

The check device housing :is mounted on the end of the rock sha-ftb-y means of support-bracket I5 and. is retained thereon by set screws-as at It. The body I! of the check device houses the-working pistons, and-members: is are adjustments for controlling the actionr ofthe device. It is'noted that with this mounting, the adjustments |8- are readilyxaccessible. :Arm- 20' is pivoted as at 2| toactuate the pistons in the check device in'response to motion ofthe picker stick. Bracket 49. clamped to the stick by screw 4|, carries ball member-'42- which in turneonnects to arm 20 of the' check device through "part 43'.

Themountingbracketpf the check device is formed to mount cross 'shaft'22; to'which is pivoteda pair of linksL. The other ends of-the link'are pivoted as' at23'toa'bracket member 25 mounted on the picker stick. Set screws 26 and clamp plate'2'l are, provided so that thepoEition of bracket 25.on..the picker. stickis adjustable. With this mounting, the lower end of the picker stick follows a restrained substantially vertical motion within the limits of its operation.

In order to bias the picker stick toward the neutral position after completion of the power stroke, a spring is provided which reacts against plate 28 clamped to the stick. The lower end of the plate is notched as at 29 and a threaded eye bolt 30 carries adjusting nut 3| which rests in the notch. Spring 32 connects with eye bolt 30 in the picker stick and with a fixed eye bolt 33. The action of spring 32 is described in detail in the copending application of George H. Hufierd, Serial No. 782,341, mentioned above.

To complete the mounting of the picker stick, an upper link or arm A is provided. The lower end of the arm is pivoted to ball 52 on bracket 50, adjustably clamped to the stick by set screws 5|. The construction and operation of ball joints such as those illustrated, is known to all those skilled in the art and accordingly is not elaborated upon.

The upper end of arm A is pivoted to a similar ball member 54 on the upper bracket 55. The bracket is adjustably mounted on a lay portion |2 by means of bolts 58 which extend through slots 51 formed in the fixed mounting plate 56.

The picker head 60 has a pocket 6! for reception of the shuttle.

The line a:.1: represents a straight line parallel to the lay which line is substantially the path traversed by the picker with certain exceptions, the reasons for the exceptions and the advantages thereof being explained in detail in the aforesaid application of Hufierd, Serial No. 782,341.

It can be seen that I have provided a novel combination of a linkage-mounted picker stick and a hydraulic check device which is simple; the check device is accessible, and relatively undisturbed by operation of the loom. Various modifications in the preferred embodiment described may be made without departing from the essence of the invention, and, accordingly, I contemplate that the appended claims and not the illustrated embodiment are determinative of the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a loom, a frame having a rock-shaft bearing, a rock shaft pivoted in said bearing, a lay assembly, a picker stick and a picker, linkage means to mount the picker stick on said assembly so that the picker moves substantially in a straight line, a, hydraulic check device having a housing element rigidly supported by said rock shaft on the outboard side of'said bearing and a piston element pivotally connected to said picker stick, linkage mounting bracket means on said rockshaft outboard of said bearing, said linkage means comprising a first link pivoted to said assembly and to said picker stick,and a second link pivoted to a lower end portion of the picker stick at one end and to said mounting bracket means carried by said rock shaft at the other end, said check housing element overlying a substantial extent of said second link.

2. In a loom, a frame, rock shaft, and lay assembly, a picker stick and a picker carried thereby, linkage means to mount the picker stick on the loom so that-the picker moves substantially in a straight line, a hydraulic check device including a housing element and mounting bracket therefor rigidly supported by said rock shaft and a piston element pivotally connected to said picker stick, said linkage means comprising a first link pivoted to said lay assembly and to said picker stick, and a second link pivoted to a lower end portion of the picker stick and to said mounting bracket.

3. In a loom, a frame, rock shaft, and lay assembly, a picker stick and a picker carried thereby, linkage means to mount the picker stick on the loom so that the picker moves substantially in a straight line, a hydraulic check device including a housing element and mounting bracket therefor rigidly supported by said rock shaft and a piston element pivotally connected to said picker stick, said linkage means comprising a first link pivoted to said lay assembly and to a midportion of said picker stick, and a second generally horizontal link pivoted to a lower end portion of the picker stick and to said mounting bracket.

4. In a loom, a frame including a rock shaft bearing, a rock shaft, and a lay assembly, a picker REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 97,826 Stone Dec. 14, 1869 739,526 Whatley Sept. 22, 1903 1,930,080 Bentley et a1 Oct. 10, 1933 2,105,450 Brown Jan. 11, 1938 2,433,764 Kotteman Dec. 30, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7,811 Great Britain "we... June 27, 1885 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,513,907 July 4, 1950 CARL H. BACON It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 1, line 53, strike out the Words Balogh, Hydraulic Check, Serial N 0. 670,252 and insert instead Stalj Linkage and Check, Serial No. 782,341

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 26th day of September, A. Dv 1950.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents, 

